Overnight Success

I live just south of Nashville Tennessee where many aspiring musicians come to pursue their dreams of success in the music business. When the public first hears the name of an up and coming star they are sometimes referred to as an overnight success. Only people closest to the artist understand the sacrifice and numerous hours of practice required while performing for little or no pay. Success can mean many things to different people. You may want to be a better spouse or parent, write a book, launch a new business, reach your sales goals or become debt free. It is easy to become frustrated when our version of success does not happen as fast as we would like. We live in a "I want it now society." However, it has been my experience that success comes when we make a series of daily deposits over a period of time. The first step is getting started. Inaction can be your greatest enemy, especially if you're the type of person who likes to have everything perfect before you begin. This was a difficult lesson for me to learn. Next, don't get discouraged if it takes longer than you think. Malcolm Gladwell states in his best-selling book, Outliers, that an investment of ten thousand hours is required to become an expert or achieve mastery of a certain skill. Gladwell uses The Beatles as an example. Lennon and McCartney started playing together seven years prior to the British Invasion of 1964. Bill Gates joined a computer club in 1968 while in the seventh grade and spent many hours writing code when most colleges did not have access to this technology. Fred Smith, founder of FedEx, grew up with a father who owned a successful Regional Bus Line. Fred learned to fly as a teenager and while at Yale flew charter flights for students and delivered packages for people. I thought ten thousand hours seemed unreasonable until I started examining the journey of people that I respected. The practice, education and hours they invested prior to their public notoriety helped them find their voice and define their message. Overnight success is a myth. Quit being so hard on yourself and enjoy the journey. Make daily deposits toward your success and one day you will look back and be amazed at the progress you have made. Question: What daily deposits are you making to achieve success in your own life? You can leave a comment by clicking here. Have a great week! Pierce